Perfect
by crammit
Summary: On this New Year's Eve, Brittany decides to start Santana's New Year off in a way she might not have ever imagined. - Rated M for smut and language **Part of Swinging Cloud's HOLYSMU Jolly Holiday Smut-tacular Holiday Project**


**Title:** Perfect  
**Author:** crammit  
**Fandom:** Glee  
**Rating:** M  
**Pairing:** Brittany/Santana  
**Timeline:** AU-ish – I still think things like this could totally happen. Thus, the "ish".  
**Summary: **On this New Year's Eve, Brittany decides to start Santana's New Year off in a way she might not have ever imagined. – Rated M for smut and language

**A/N**: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I'm only borrowing them. But I promise to put them right back where I found them.

**A/N**: This is my humble _New Year's Eve_ contribution to **Swinging Cloud's ****_HOLYSMU_** Jolly Holiday Smut-tacular Holiday Project. As always, I appreciate the invite. Contributing to something that other writers are also writing for is always a lot of fun.

**A/N**: This story does tie in to my Christmas story contribution to _**HOLYSMU**_ – "**Merry Christmas**" – but you do not need to have read that one before reading this one. Though I would, of course, be very happy if you read the Christmas one too.

**A/N**: The title in no reflects my thoughts about how this story turned out, by the way. I just wanted to mention that up front. LOL

**A/N**: I wanted to wish everybody a very Happy New Year! I hope 2014 brings nothing but the most amazing, fun, wonderful, loving, incredible things to all of you.

**A/N**: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated. I tried really hard to do this story justice for Brittany and Santana and I really hope you guys like it. :-)

**A/N**: Just kidding. There's not another author's note. :-)

* * *

"Are you sure about this?"

"Am I sure that I don't want to get pawed at by drunk people when it's like, 3 degrees outside and instead stay here and get tipsy with you in our own apartment? Yes, I'm completely sure."

As Santana slides a bottle of champagne into the fridge, Brittany fidgets behind her, nervously glancing over at her well-used messenger bag as it sits in the corner of the room by their bed. Clearing her throat, she leans a hip against the counter as Santana fiddles with the knob on the stove to increase the heat of the oven, wordlessly handing Santana the baking sheet from the counter as she tries again, "But going to see the ball drop is like, a rite of passage or something. If we left now, we could probably get at least close enough to hear everyone cheer at midnight."

Taking the baking sheet, Santana reaches into the junk drawer for a pair of scissors so she can snip the ends of the frozen cookie dough package sitting on the counter, answering Brittany with an eyeroll, "Britt, people start camping out there early in the morning. The only thing we'd hear is drunk people fighting and probably some frat guy puking in one of the alleys. Besides, I don't think we have enough layers between the two of us to even remotely keep warm and…"

Santana looks over and realizes that Brittany is picking at the frayed end of one of her M.I.T. sweatshirts, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she looks down to watch her hands. Putting the baking sheet and scissors on the counter, Santana moves closer and bends down slightly to capture Brittany's attention, reaching out to hold her hands as she looks at Brittany, "And I'm being a Grinch, aren't I? I'm sorry, Britt. If you really want to go, we can totally go. I can put the cookie dough back in the freezer and we can have the champagne when we get back."

Brittany sighs softly at the feel of Santana's thumbs brushing across the back of her hands, watching as Santana's face softens in reassurance. Brittany feels her nervousness churning around inside her belly and knows that the reason she wanted to go out and be in Times Square tonight was in the hopes that all that kinetic energy from all the people out celebrating would somehow negate her own nervous energy. She can feel the presence of her messenger bag as it sits behind her like an actual force, pushing against her back until she shuffles a little closer towards Santana in reflex. Looking past Santana's shoulder, she sees the preparations for the chocolate chip cookies on the counter, two plastic flutes sitting next to a bag of their favorite kettle corn and she thinks about the overtime that Santana just worked for almost two weeks leading up to Christmas so she could take off for New Year's Eve and she feels some of that nervousness slip away. Right here in this apartment, tonight with Santana, is right where she needs to be, right where they both need to be. Reaching a hand up to brush her fingertips against Santana's cheek, Brittany almost feels the imagined presence at her back settle down like a sleeping cat and she smiles at Santana, finally answering her suggestion, "No, San. You're absolutely right. We can plan for it next year or something. Tonight, I think staying in with you and staying warm and eating warm chocolate chip cookies sounds like a perfect way to ring in the New Year."

Letting her eyes roam over Brittany's face, Santana tries to judge the sincerity of Brittany's words, still feeling bad that she might have put a damper on something that Brittany was excited for. When she sees Brittany's relaxed posture and open smile, she relaxes as well, stepping forward to brush a kiss across Brittany's chin as she pulls her into a hug. As the low volume on the television emits another cheer from the local coverage of the festivities in Times Square, Santana gets an idea and pulls back from the hug with a playful smile on her face, "Let's get dressed up."

"Dressed up?"

"Yup. Just because we're staying in doesn't mean we can't make this into a bit of a celebration. I'll pick something out and go get ready in the bathroom and you get ready out here but we can't look and see what the other person is going to wear. It'll be a surprise."

"Ooh…like we're two strangers meeting on New Year's Eve and we fall madly in love with each other at first sight and then people cheer while Ryan Seacrest interviews us?"

Laughing, Santana grabs Brittany's cheeks and plants a hard kiss on her mouth, exaggeratedly making a kissing noise as she pulls away, "Yes, baby. Exactly like that."

"Okay, but no heels. We definitely don't need shoes since we're staying in."

"Works for me."

Santana steps away from Brittany and goes back to getting the cookie dough out of the packaging and onto the baking sheet, too busy to notice Brittany cast a final glance towards the floor, a smile on her face as she makes her way in front of the television just in time to see Lady Gaga take one of the stages that have been set up in the middle of the cheering crowd. Dutifully closing her eyes at Santana's request as she heads into their closet to pick out something to wear, Brittany feels the tingle of anticipation at the rustle of fabric that drifts past as Santana heads into the bathroom. As soon as the door closes, Brittany takes a deep breath and heads into their closet, her pulse racing at the thought of what Santana might have chosen. Opting not to cheat and see if she can figure it out by what's missing from Santana's side of the closet, Brittany spots the dress she wants, grinning as she starts to undress.

* * *

Emerging from the bathroom about fifteen minutes later, Santana's smile falters a little as she doesn't spot Brittany right away. Assuming she'll see her in just a few seconds considering they live in a studio apartment, Santana pauses at the entrance of the kitchen and calls out curiously, "Brittany, where are you?"

Hearing a knock on the front door, she walks over to answer it, peering around the kitchen wall real quick to see if Brittany was in their closet, scrunching her forehead when she's met with empty space. Looking through the peephole, Santana's eyebrows climb towards her hairline, a grin pulling at her lips as she takes a small step back and opens the door to see a smiling Brittany standing out in the hallway.

"Hi there. I heard you're having a New Year's Eve party and I was wondering if I could crash it."

Santana drinks in the sight of Brittany in her form fitting dress, her blonde hair still soft and loose around her shoulders as it had been all day, the barest touch of makeup highlighting the cat-like curve of her blue eyes. The image makes Santana stand there for a moment, speechless as Brittany holds up the bottle of champagne, "I brought champagne."

"Did you just take out the one that we had in the fridge already?"

"Shhh, don't ruin it."

Brittany's stage whisper makes Santana grin and offer a laughing apology. Taking a moment to appreciate the red mini-dress hugging all those delicious curves, Santana's hair pulled back in a stylish ponytail, Brittany's heart thumps a little bit faster. Glancing down at both of their bare feet, Brittany can't help the surge of affection that washes through her, this playful side to her and Santana's relationship always feeling like the bonus to an already amazing prize. As Santana reaches out to take the bottle of champagne, her other hand lightly grabs Brittany's wrist, pulling her over the threshold of the apartment as she shuts the door. Before Santana can move to go put the champagne back in the fridge, Brittany reverses Santana's hold on her wrist, gripping her forearm as she playfully points above their head, the dollar store plastic mistletoe still fighting the good fight as it remains taped to the wall above the door.

With a smirk, Santana steps closer to Brittany, their bodies barely touching as she rises up on her toes and presses her lips to Brittany's, enjoying the slick feel of their lipstick, inhaling deeply and deepening the kiss as she takes in the scent of Brittany's perfume mixed with the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. As Brittany's free hand falls to her waist, Santana takes a step forward until she can press Brittany against the front door, sliding her tongue against Brittany's as she feels the grip on her forearm tighten. With one more sensual pass of her tongue, Santana ends the kiss with happy noise, wiping her lipstick from Brittany's mouth with a smile before she resumes her path to the kitchen, putting the champagne back in the fridge and bending down to check on the cookies.

Brittany remains leaning against the door for a moment longer, arousal sparking along her nerve endings as she licks away Santana's kiss, her eyes drawn to the hint of cleavage as Santana bends a little further to pull the baking sheet out of the oven. As she straightens up and puts the baking sheet on top of the stove, reaching down to close the oven door, Brittany finally pushes away from the front door and walks towards the kitchen, nodding her head to the beat as Ke$ha's voice starts to play through the television speakers.

"Britt, why don't you pour us some wine? We need to let the cookies cool for a little bit anyway."

Wordlessly agreeing to Santana's request, Brittany grabs a bottle from the small wine rack on top of the fridge, opening the cabinet and taking out two wine glasses. Santana playfully rubs her ass across Brittany's as she shuffles towards the other counter, both of them giggling as Brittany reaches back to pat Santana's ass before moving the wine bottle and glasses to the edge of the opposite counter, giving Santana some room to move around their small kitchen. Grinning as Santana smirks at her choice of the wine bottle with the twist off cap, Brittany shrugs and sticks her tongue out at Santana, laughing as Santana blows her a kiss.

"What? The last time I tried to use the corkscrew, the wine bottle went flying off the counter and smashed all over that cute little rug you bought in Chinatown. I'm not taking any chances tonight."

"Brittany, it's okay. I mean, I'm making us frozen cookies from a plastic sleeve. I don't need fancy tonight."

"Except for the champagne."

"Well, sure. It's New Year's Eve. We're not animals."

Still smiling, Santana goes about setting the cookies out on a plate to let them cool, pulling off her oven mitt and dropping the spatula into the sink. Glancing at the clock on the stove, she debates on whether or not to reheat their Thai food from last night. Startling a little bit as Brittany appears at her side, she accepts the full wine glass that Brittany hands her, watching as she grabs the popcorn bag, tucking it under her arm as she pulls Santana out of the kitchen, stopping to allow her to grab the wine bottle.

"No need to make anything else, San. It's a little late for dinner and I'm not super hungry anyway."

"Your mind reading skills have gotten better since high school."

Chuckling, Brittany kisses Santana's hand before letting it go, putting the popcorn bag on the coffee table before sitting on the loveseat. Holding her wine glass out to the side as Santana settles against her, Brittany nudges Santana with her knee and gestures towards the television, kissing Santana's shoulder as she dutifully grabs the remote and turns the volume up.

Dropping the remote next to her and placing the wine bottle on the table next to the popcorn bag, Santana shifts so she can face Brittany, holding her wine glass up for a toast as Brittany looks at her, "To spending New Year's Eve in cocktail dresses eating popcorn and drinking cheap wine."

Brittany reaches her free hand out to brush her fingers across Santana's hand, returning her happy smile as she responds to Santana's toast, "There's no place else I'd rather be."

She clinks her glass against Santana's, holding her gaze as she takes a healthy sip from her wine glass, enjoying the warmth of the red wine as it settles in her system. Closing the distance between them, Brittany tunes out the car commercial blaring from their television and instead focuses her attention on capturing Santana's lips in a soft, slow kiss. Pecking Santana's lips once as she pulls away, Brittany puts her wine glass on the table, opening the bag of popcorn and placing it on Santana's lap, ignoring Santana's fake huff of irritation and muttered '_you better not get kettle corn crap on this dress_'.

Resting her shoulder against Santana, Brittany reaches out and takes a sip of wine from Santana's glass, reaching in for a handful of popcorn as she kisses Santana's cheek, holding her hand up so Santana can take a few pieces of the popcorn. Keeping her eyes on the screen, Brittany tries to ignore the feeling of Santana's lips sliding across her fingertips as she takes the popcorn, teasing them both as she pretends that Rihanna being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest is the most interesting thing in the world. She hears Santana's knowing low laugh and welcomes the hum of arousal it brings. The night is far from over and Brittany is content to just relax right now and be next to Santana as they watch the coverage from Times Square.

* * *

An hour later finds them both more than a little tipsy, most of the bag of popcorn consumed between them, the wine bottle having run empty about twenty minutes earlier, both of their discarded wine glasses sitting next to it on the table.

All of those things are far from Santana's thoughts as she takes a breath and then dives back into the kiss that Brittany is giving her, chasing the wine and salty sweet taste of kettle corn from her tongue. She has Brittany on her back, one of Brittany's legs bent with her foot resting against the floor as Santana straddles her other thigh, Brittany's hands firmly grasping at the curve of Santana's ass. The sounds from the television are nothing but white noise to Santana, the buzz from the wine heightening her senses until all she can think about is _Brittany, Brittany, Brittany_…

Bracing her elbow against the armrest behind Brittany's head, Santana trails her lips from Brittany's mouth down across her throat until she reaches the tops of Brittany's breasts, her free hand pulling in vain at the tight material as she sucks harshly on the flesh spilling over the top of the neckline, marking Brittany as she moans beneath her. Before she can repeat the action on the other side, Brittany's hands are gripping her ponytail, pulling her back up into a desperate kiss. The way that Brittany's tongue is stroking against hers is causing the ache between her legs to grow and she shifts restlessly against Brittany in response. From the moment she kissed Brittany under the mistletoe above the front door, her body has been in a slow burn, the sight and feel of Brittany in that dress doing wonderful things to her insides. The playful banter and wine had only stoked the arousal and when Brittany had taken both of their wine glasses, placing them carefully on the table before reclining against the arm of the loveseat with a smirk, the slow burn had burst into overwhelming need.

Santana can feel Brittany's fingers reaching further, trying to pull her dress up, whimpering into the kiss when she feels cooler air across her skin as the dress bunches up around her waist. Arching her back playfully, she pushes up from Brittany's body, ignoring Brittany's groan of frustration as she sits back on her heels, her fingers teasing the inside of Brittany's legs as she eases the dress up a little higher.

"Look at you being all sneaky."

"Get back here so I can touch you."

"Mmm…and bossy. That's hot, Britt."

"It'll be hotter when I'm inside you," Brittany's voice is low as she tries to ignore the sight of Santana's thong, the material darker where her wetness had brushed against it, and instead keeps her eyes on Santana's face. Sitting up, Brittany presses her hand against Santana's lower back, her other hand cupping the warmth at Santana's center as she leans forward and kisses the base of Santana's throat. She feels Santana swallow and chases the action with her lips, trailing them up Santana's neck until she tilts her head down for a kiss. Opening her mouth at Santana's insistent pressure, Brittany loses herself in the feel of Santana's lips and the taste of her tongue, absorbing Santana's moan with another kiss as Brittany's fingers tease the edge of Santana's underwear. So caught up in the feel of the damp material against her fingertips that she is unprepared for Santana's hands pushing on her shoulders, pulling her out of the kiss and pressing her back down against the cushions of the loveseat.

Before Brittany can move again, Santana gets up off the loveseat, walking around to stand in front of the armrest, grinning as Brittany leans up on her elbows, her cheeks flushed as she watches Santana reach for the side zipper of her dress. Without ceremony, Santana unzips and steps out of her dress and underwear, barely hearing Brittany's hushed exclamation as she leans over and grips the outside of Brittany's thighs, pulling her closer as she rests Brittany's ass against the armrest. Sinking to her knees, Santana removes Brittany's underwear, dropping it on the floor before wrapping her arms around Brittany's thighs, shrugging at Brittany's questioning look. Dipping her thumbs under Brittany's dress, Santana pushes the material up, exposing Brittany's center and, with a whispered _I can't wait any longer_, Santana leans forward and licks gently through Brittany's wetness.

The angle of her body makes Brittany feel completely exposed and at Santana's mercy and as she feels Santana's tongue start to stroke in a teasing rhythm against her clit, she relaxes her body against the cushions and gives in to the pleasure, her arms reaching above her head to brace against the opposite armrest. One of Santana's hands soothes across her stomach muscles as she arches her back, opening her legs wider as Santana flicks the tip of her tongue against Brittany's entrance. Curling her hips towards the sensation, Brittany entices Santana with dirty words, biting her lip at the sensation of her wetness across Santana's chin.

"Inside…San, please…_oh God_."

Santana's grip tightens on Brittany's thigh as she slides her tongue a little bit further inside of Brittany, fucking her slowly with her tongue as she revels in the familiar taste of Brittany's arousal. Bringing her other hand back down to support some of Brittany's weight, Santana tilts Brittany's hips up a little bit further, groaning deeply as the wetness increases against her mouth. Her own sex clenches, swollen and slick with arousal, as she slides her tongue up to lick firmly against Brittany's clit, Brittany's body starting to try and press harder and harder against the pressure. Locking her arms around Brittany's hips, Santana lays her tongue flat against Brittany's clit, looking across Brittany's body to find her watching intently, and starts to work her mouth in earnest.

Brittany's shoulders are starting to protest the strain of pushing against the armrest but the ache only seems to intensify her pleasure and she closes her eyes, her orgasm getting closer with every pass of Santana's tongue against her. When Santana purses her lips and sucks, her tongue joining the motion a few seconds later, Brittany's back arches, her legs trembling as she comes in a sudden rush against Santana's mouth. After a few seconds, her body relaxes back down against the cushions, her thighs tensing as Santana continues to lick softly between her legs. Santana's hands are gentle against Brittany's hips as she eases her down, pulling away with a deep breath as Brittany shuffles back until her legs are dangling comfortably over the armrest. Brittany opens her eyes to find Santana rising from her kneeling position, her body looking beautiful in the glow of the television and the white Christmas lights strung up around the ceiling. As she makes her way to the front of the loveseat, Brittany sits up, planting her feet on the floor as she turns and faces Santana, easing back as Santana leans down and kisses her softly.

The moan Brittany makes whenever she tastes herself on Santana's kisses never fails to make Santana's belly tighten and this time is no exception. Desperate to ease the ache between her legs, Santana goes to straddle Brittany's lap, pulling out of the kiss with a frown as Brittany's hand against her chest stops her.

"I have to take this dress off, San. Even though…um…I think it's probably already ruined."

Brittany's sheepish grin turns Santana's frown into a soft smile and with a quick kiss to Brittany's forehead, Santana reaches down and helps Brittany stand in front of her, both of them giggling as it takes a bit of maneuvering to get the bunched up and wrinkled dress from Brittany's body. Once it's removed, Santana stands there indecisively, wondering if she should be a good girlfriend and walk over to the closet to hang the dress up, seeing the red fabric of her own dress on the floor and wincing a little bit. Before she can make a decision, Brittany tugs the dress from Santana's hand and lets it drop to the floor at their feet, smirking at Santana as she pulls her down to straddle her lap, "What did you say before? I can't wait any longer?"

As soon as Santana's knees press into the cushions on either side of Brittany's legs, she's being pulled into a kiss, Brittany's hands immediately cupping her breasts. Santana's clit pulses hard as Brittany matches the rhythm of her tongue with the pace of her thumbs brushing back and forth across Santana's nipples. Gripping the cushion behind Brittany's head, Santana ends the kiss, dropping her head back and arching her back as one of Brittany's hands finds its way between Santana's legs. The brief burst of pleasure at her touch stops as soon as it starts and Santana immediately looks back down towards Brittany, her stomach trembling as she moans, watching as Brittany brings her fingers to her mouth and cleans Santana's wetness from them. Santana holds her breath as Brittany's other hand slides from her breast to press against her lower back, those same wet fingers of her other hand trailing between Santana's legs once more. This time Brittany presses a little deeper, pushing slowly inside Santana one time before bringing her hand back up between them. Pulled forward by Brittany's hand on her back, Santana leans closer to Brittany, the breath bursting from her lungs as Brittany slowly rubs the wetness from the tips of her fingers against Santana's lips, meeting her gaze briefly before rushing forward to kiss Santana once more.

Releasing her death grip on the loveseat, Santana cups the back of Brittany's neck, groaning from deep within her chest as Brittany slides her fingers inside Santana once more, pushing deep as she presses her palm against Santana's center. Resting her forehead against Brittany, Santana looks down between them, feeling Brittany's warm breath across her open mouth as she urges Santana on, "I want to watch you."

Clenching against Brittany's fingers, Santana slowly rolls her hips, pulling back slightly so she can look at Brittany, "Oh, yeah? You're going to make me do all the work, huh?"

Brittany curls her fingers and makes shallow thrusts inside Santana, rubbing her palm gently against Santana's clit as she answers her, "Not _all_ the work…"

Faintly, Santana hears more music start to play on the television but all she can focus on is Brittany and the sexy look on her face as Santana starts to ride her fingers, Brittany's free hand scratching a light path up and down Santana's spine as she moves. Santana can feel her wetness against her inner thighs and she feels the way Brittany's palm slides against her and she arches her back further, pulling Brittany's head down towards her chest in a silent plea. Without hesitation, Brittany's warm mouth covers Santana's nipple, the soft sucking making Santana even wetter as she looks down to watch Brittany's mouth move against her skin. She feels the slightest graze of Brittany's teeth and the sensation causes her hips to jerk hard against Brittany's fingers, a helpless sound escaping her mouth as Brittany catches on and repeats the motion. Looking over Brittany's head, Santana sees a glimpse of her reflection in the window, realizing that in their tipsy state, they had forgotten to pull the blinds all the way down.

Stilling her movements, Santana pulls Brittany away from her chest, scrunching her body down as she pushes Brittany against the back of the couch, holding onto her shoulders and answering Brittany's soft inquiry with a slightly panicked whisper, "The blinds aren't all the way down."

"What?"

"Britt, the blinds aren't all the way down and I just realized that the people in the building across the street could probably see right into our apartment."

"So?"

"So we should probably stop and I don't know, shut the blinds or move to our bed on the other side of the room or something."

"Nope."

Pulling back slightly at Brittany's nonchalant answer, Santana's response is stopped by the feel of Brittany's fingers moving again, her thumb slipping back and forth across Santana's clit as Brittany's other hand comes around to cup Santana's jaw. Keeping her close, Brittany sucks on Santana's bottom lip before letting her lips rest against Santana's mouth, her lower belly tingling as Santana's body responds to her words, "They can't see you now, honey. All they can see is maybe the top of your head so we're going to stay right here and I'm going to make you come and it's going to…feel…so…good."

Santana's body shudders as Brittany punctuates her words with deep, curling thrusts of her fingers and within seconds, Santana's body makes the decision for her, picking up the rhythm of Brittany's fingers as her hips move in rushed, rocking motions. Minutes pass as Brittany's thumb remains a steady presence against Santana's clit and Santana closes her eyes, moaning against Brittany's mouth as the muscles in her body start to tighten, her legs shaking as she finally comes. Digging her fingers into Brittany's shoulders, Santana's body slumps forward, pressing her chest tight to Brittany's as Brittany wraps her arm around Santana's back. Brittany keeps her fingers between Santana's legs, drawing her orgasm out slowly until Santana lifts up and gently pulls away from the sensation. Indulging in a quick kiss, Santana smiles at Brittany before leaning back slightly and looking behind her, quickly turning back when she feels Brittany's hands cover her breasts.

"What are you doing?"

"What are _you _doing, San?"

"I was seeing what time it is. It has to be close to midnight by now. Now, what are _you_ doing?"

"Covering your boobs so the neighbors don't see."

With a gasp, Santana falls against Brittany's body again, pouting as Brittany laughs at her. Rubbing her hands across Santana's back, Brittany pushes off the floor and turns her body so that Santana is hidden as she lies across the loveseat. With a grin, Brittany stands up and walks over to the window, shutting the blinds before coming back to the loveseat, holding her hands out to help Santana stand up, "We have about ten minutes before the ball drops. Do you think we should get the champagne?"

"Yeah. I'll get the champagne, you get the comforter?"

"Oooh, naked New Year's Eve cuddles under the down comforter. I like how you think."

Taking a moment to appreciate Santana's naked body as she heads into the kitchen, Brittany turns with a smile to head over to the bed, her steps slowing as she spots her messenger bag. She hears Santana fiddling around in the kitchen but it sounds far away, the blood starting to pound in Brittany's ears as her nervousness from earlier that night comes creeping back. Looking quickly towards the kitchen, Brittany realizes that now is her chance and she crouches down to root around inside the bag, her fingers brushing against the velvet edges of a small box. Taking a deep breath, she pulls the box out, standing slowly as she rests it in the palm of her hand, almost dropping it at the loud sound of the cork popping, followed by Santana's easy laughter. Brittany hears the champagne being poured and quickly pulls the comforter from the bed with her free hand, hastily draping it over her shoulders as she heads back to the loveseat.

Standing there, she realizes that she has to put the box somewhere so as not to ruin the surprise. As the cheers from the television start to increase as it's announced that there's only three minutes left until the ball drops, Brittany starts to panic, the light in the kitchen going off as Santana grabs the two flutes. Before Santana turns back around, Brittany spots her crumpled dress on the floor and quickly bends down, stuffing the small box under the dress and standing up just as Santana appears in front of her, "You okay, Britt?"

Swallowing hard, Brittany lets out a nervous laugh, covering the odd sound by pointing to the screen where the countdown is set to start very shortly, "I'm great. It's almost time."

Taking her at her word, Santana nods her head, going to hand Brittany a flute before realizing that Brittany was using both hands to hold onto the edges of the comforter. Putting the flutes down next to the empty wine glasses on the coffee table, Santana goes with the more pleasant option of stepping close to Brittany's body as she opens the comforter. Wrapping her arms around Brittany's waist, Santana obliges Brittany's request to stand still as she adjusts the comforter so it's draped around both of them, shrugging as Brittany asks about the champagne, "We'll toast after the ball drops. I kind of like where my hands are right now."

Brittany kisses the tip of Santana's nose and Santana runs her hands across Brittany's back, both of them turning their heads to look at the screen as the ten-second countdown to the New Year officially starts. Counting along with the televised crowd at Times Square, Brittany giggles as Santana starts to bounce on her toes with every number, jumping up as the television speakers' blare with the crowds' shout of "Happy New Year" followed by the opening notes of Auld Lange Syne. Turning to look at each other, Brittany's breath catches in her chest at the look of complete happiness on Santana's face, the glow of it curving around her smile and settling into the crinkled corners of her brown eyes. She watches Santana's mouth form the words to wish her a Happy New Year but all Brittany can see are the New Year's Eves in two years, five years, ten years and being able to usher in every new year, with its promise of beautiful and amazing things, exactly as she is now, looking into the eyes of the woman that she loves more than anyone else in this world.

Blinking rapidly, Brittany returns Santana's Happy New Year greeting with one of her own, tilting her head down to share a soft kiss, completing the holiday list of traditions that Santana had scrawled on a piece of paper and taped to the fridge. Pulling away from the kiss, Brittany returns Santana's goofy smile, giving her an Eskimo kiss before speaking again, "Are you happy, Santana?"

"The happiest."

Stepping closer to Brittany, Santana tightens her arms across Brittany's back, humming into the feeling of Brittany's warm body pressed tight to hers. Resting her chin on Brittany's shoulder, Santana looks over at the bed, her libido coming back to life as she pictures making love to Brittany again on the familiar comfort of their mattress. Turning her head to kiss the side of Brittany's neck, Santana presses her lips against Brittany's ear, already starting to shuffle them towards the bed as she speaks, "Let's ring in this New Year in right."

With her heart rate spiking at the promise in Santana's voice, Brittany takes a deep breath and forces her own desire down, stopping their progress and instead guiding Santana onto her back on the loveseat once more. Reaching for the remote, Brittany turns the television off and takes a half second to appreciate the glow of the Christmas lights before climbing on top of Santana's body, both of them shifting to get comfortable as Brittany makes sure the comforter is settled over their bodies.

"You don't want to take this to our nice comfy bed?"

Shaking her head, Brittany just watches Santana for a moment, blushing as Santana presses her hand against Brittany's chest, her voice slightly concerned as she looks up at Brittany, "Baby, are you okay? Your heart is pounding so hard right now."

"I'm okay. Could you…could you close your eyes for a minute?"

Santana keeps her hand against Brittany's chest but her concern fades into a smirk, mistaking Brittany's nervousness for something else, "Oooh, kinky."

Even though her heart is in her stomach, Brittany rolls her eyes playfully, watching as Santana winks and then closes her eyes. Brittany reaches her arm over the side of the loveseat, pawing at the fabric of her dress as she tries to find the small box she stuffed under there. Keeping her eyes on Santana's face to make sure she doesn't cheat and look, Brittany is too nervous to laugh as Santana teases her about still being worried about her wrinkled dress. Closing her eyes briefly in relief as her fingers find and grab the box, Brittany shifts up a little bit on Santana's body, bracing her elbow above Santana's shoulder so her hand is out of Santana's field of vision. Leaning down to kiss Santana's full lips, Brittany whispers for her to open her eyes, Santana's palms warm against her back as they settle just below Brittany's shoulders.

Santana opens her eyes to find Brittany just looking at her, her blues soft with some emotion that Santana can't quite pinpoint. Instinct has her tightening her hold on Brittany, bending her leg to tuck Brittany's body closer to her as she returns Brittany's stare, "You're worrying me a little bit. Are you okay?"

"I love you, Santana."

Tilting her head slightly, Santana pauses at the non sequitur but answers Brittany, trusting that she'll eventually tell Santana what's going on, "I love you too, Brittany."

Brittany takes a few more seconds to try to settle her nerves, the small box in her hand feeling like a live grenade as she takes a deep breath and starts to speak, "I've loved you for so many years that if I really try hard and think about it, I honestly can't remember not loving you in way or another. Despite everything that we went through I knew that if I held my hand out, you would be right there to take it. Even if it was under a napkin. We've had a lot happen in our lives and we've come a long way since those first shy kisses in your bedroom. Being with you, it's just amazing. It hasn't always been perfect, but I don't need perfect. I just need you. Your support has allowed me to do things that I never dreamed I might be capable of and I can only hope that I've done the same for you. You've been my best friend and have been there for all the important moments in my life and somewhere along the way, I realized that _you_ became the most important moment in my life. And now, I was kinda hoping that I can become the most important one in yours. Santana Lopez, will you marry me?"

While she was talking, Santana could feel the way Brittany's heart was pounding since their bodies are pressed completely together and, as Brittany finishes speaking, Santana realizes that her heart is racing in the same rhythm. Before Santana can speak, Brittany moves her arm, bringing into Santana's view a small black velvet box and as Brittany holds the box out for Santana to take, she sees that Brittany's hand is shaking. Slowly, Santana takes the box from Brittany's hand and opens it, finally looking away from Brittany's eyes to look at the simple engagement ring, Brittany shifting anxiously against her as Santana just stares into the jewelry box.

When a few seconds pass and Santana doesn't say anything, Brittany feels her nerves take over and she starts to ramble, "Is the ring okay? I sent a few pictures to your mom and my mom to get their opinion and we all thought this one was perfect but I can take it back for something else if you don't like it. I mean, not that you've said yes yet or anything. Not that I'm pressuring you. But if you said yes and didn't like the ring, I could get something different. Or we could keep this one. Or I could…"

Santana cuts off Brittany's rambling with a kiss, her free hand cupping the back of Brittany's head as the open jewelry box rests between them. She keeps kissing Brittany until she feels Brittany's body start to relax a bit against hers, finally pulling away when she's able to tease a small moan from Brittany. Her face is flushed as Santana leans back to look at her and as Brittany goes to speak again, Santana shakes her head and smiles, "First, the ring is absolutely gorgeous. You picked out the most beautiful ring, sweetheart."

"I did?"

"You really did. And second, and most importantly, yes. Yes, I'll marry you. Yes, you are and have always been the most important thing in my life even during the times I was too scared to really see it. Being with you…being by your side and having you in my life is the best thing that ever happened to me. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me so yes, I'll marry you. And I promise I'll keep spending every day making sure you know just how happy you make me and just how incredible I think you are. I'm going to love you every day for the rest of our lives, Brittany Pierce."

Santana finishes on a whisper, reaching up to brush away the tears on Brittany's cheeks, letting her own tears roll unhindered down her face. It takes a few moments before a certain giddiness starts to settle in her chest, the fact that she just agreed to marry Brittany hitting her system all once. She feels her smile start to grow into a grin, a matching one on Brittany's face, before the grin turns into a laugh, Brittany leaning down and pulling Santana into a hug, only laughing harder as the jewelry box snaps closed. Pushing up a little bit, Brittany can't help but plant excited kisses all over Santana's face, giggling as Santana tries to do the same. Finally cupping Santana's jaw, Brittany leans down and kisses her softly, only pulling away once she feels Santana's hands between them, opening the jewelry box. Bracing her weight on one arm, Brittany takes the ring from Santana, watching as she lets the jewelry box fall to the floor with a muted thump. With a soft smile, Brittany waits for Santana to hold her hand up, holding her breath as she gently slides the ring onto Santana's finger, both of them laughing as Brittany whispers, "Oh, thank God it fits."

"You know my ring size, Britt."

"I know. But I still worried about it fitting."

Reaching up, Santana caresses the side of Brittany's face, looking at the ring and feeling her chest flush with love at the sight of it on her finger. Brittany turns her head and nudges at Santana's hand until she can place a gentle kiss against the ring, breathing out happily at the big smile on Santana's face. As she leans forward to snuggle against Santana, Brittany stops suddenly, looking over her shoulder at the coffee table before looking back at Santana, "I just realized we forgot the cookies. And we never drank our champagne."

"Well, lucky for us, I can think of something else we can celebrate right now instead of New Year's Eve. What do you say?"

"I say that sounds perfect."


End file.
